Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-09-30
OF WASHINGTON,
AS Seen by SurveyOr-General Breck-
enridge.

enridgc.
From the Louisville CourierJ Journal
OLYMPIA, Aug. H.-Sincc my ar
rival i'll Washington Territory / have
received many letters from the South
and the Southwest asking the infor-
nation in RECORD to the soil, climate
and resources of the country. l have
answered all communications, but my
answers have all necessarily been
brief, and as inquiries are still coming
with every mail, / have concluded to
address a letter to the Courier-Jouraal
on the subjects mentioned, believing
that through it's columns the informa-
ton desired will reach most of those
who are interested.
The Territory is divided by lofty
range Of mountains, the Cascade, into
two portions, which in climate, soil
and general aspect OF nature, are so
utterly unlike that l shall have to de-
scribe them under different heads. 1t
is OF Western Washington, however,
that l shall have most to say, as it
differs more from other portions of the
United States than does Eastern
Washington, the latter in many re-
spects resembling the States and Terri
tories west of the Mississippi. To draw
a general distinction between the two
divisions, l would say that the winters
OF Western Washington are mild and
the summers cool; the winters of
Eastern Washington are cold and the
summers hot. The former is covered
with dense growth of timber, the
latter has large tracts of open land,
but also much timber and mountain
eous country.
WESTERN WASHINGTON.
The winters Of this portion, as l
have said before are mild. We can
not expect more than fifteen or
twenty days in which the mercury
will fall below the freezing point, and
only very seldom will it 60 as low as
zero. Lying between the mountains
and the sea, it enjoys the mild atmos-
phere of the ocean called the Japan
current. But this current brings at
the same time great deal of rain,
and We may expect wet weather most
OF the time from October to May and
sometimes even to June. However,
it should not be imagined that the
agriculturalist is made to suffer from
the sudden freshets, as is frequently
the case in other sections; for while
it is true the wet season lasts provok-
ingly long, the rains are not at all de-
structive of vegetation either by excess
in the total or by violence in the fall.
From about the first of June until the
rainy season begins, the weather here
is probably as pleasant as can be
found in any climate, the only objec-
tionable feature being the smoke
which is caused by forest firca in the
latter part of the summer and early
autumn. At no time of the year are
there dangerous winds, and cyclones
are unknown. And, as to lightning,
it may be sufficient to say that light
ming rods are not used west of the
mountains.
1t will thus be seen how little this
region resembles any other portion of
the United States. 1t is, in point of
more-like England and Ire
land. There has probably never bee n
a drouth here so severe as to cause a |
loss of more than one-fourth of the
harvest. Venomous reptiles and in
sects, which are found in most of the
Territories are unknown in Western
Washington.
THE PRODUCTS
Of Western Washington are not of
much variety. To speak of them in a |
general way, it would be correct to |
say that this region yields few pro-
ducts in great perfection. Corn does
not mature well, and is not cult waited |
for the markets, though grown in a
limited way for table use. Nor is the |
heat great enough to grow tobacco |
with success. Tomatoes, melons,
grapes and peaches, all depending up
0n warm weather are not successfully |
grown. But then, there are fruits and
berries for which Western Washington
IS altogether unrivaled-such as pears,
plums, raspberries, strawberries, ap-
,loS onJ cbarrios Tn vnUatah1as tho